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Should I Use Signal Messenger?

signal.org·Analyzed 1 day ago··Based on 16 sources

Say "hello" to a different messaging experience. An unexpected focus on privacy, combined with all of the features you expect.

Worth it

Worth it

Buy if you want free, private messaging from a nonprofit — reviewers consistently rank it the top secure messenger for individuals.

Free, nonprofit, genuinely private messenger. Best-in-class for people; wrong tool if you need business controls.

Confidence: High

Free

Price

No subscriptions or ads

Yes

Free tier

Entire app is free

453

G2 reviews

Reviews on G2

2018

Founded

Signal Foundation, Feb 21, 2018

Value for money5

Completely free; donation-funded, no ads

Ease of use4

Feels like a standard chat app

Feature depth3

Core features solid; no standout extras cited

Security posture4

Top-rated privacy; documented desktop and linked-device issues

Pros

  • Free app with no ads or subscriptions⁵
  • Developed by a nonprofit, not an ad-driven company16
  • Listed among the best private messengers by reviewers²
  • Publishes incident transparency and user guidance13
  • Praised across 2024-2026 independent privacy reviews¹

Cons

  • Requires your phone number, limiting anonymity⁴
  • Desktop client had publicly disclosed vulnerabilities in 2023⁸
  • Attackers exploited linked devices to spy on targets10
  • Donation-funded; users debate long-term sustainability

Gotchas

  • highMandiant warned Russian hackers abused the linked-devices feature for real-time spying; audit yours10
  • highDesktop app file-handling vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-24068/69) were disclosed; keep clients updated⁸
  • mediumTwilio incident affected some Signal users; review Signal's published guidance13
  • mediumNo commercial tier: no vendor support, no admin tooling, roadmap depends on donors

Best for

  • Privacy-conscious individuals
  • Journalists and activists
  • Anyone leaving Meta-owned WhatsApp
  • Small nonprofits wanting secure chat for free

Not for

  • Businesses needing admin consoles, SSO, or compliance controls
  • Buyers wanting vendor SLAs or paid support contracts
  • Users who can't or won't share a phone number
  • Teams needing message retention or e-discovery

Companies that use it

  • Trees for the Future (FTFA)14

Pricing

Signal

Free

  • Full encrypted messaging app
  • Runs on donations
  • No ads or paid tiers

Security

Strong privacy reputation; known issues are documented, with desktop client and linked-device abuse the main risks.

  • Signal Desktop client vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-24068/24069)File-handling flaws in the desktop client, discussed publicly by Kaspersky.⁸
  • Linked-device exploitation for spyingMandiant warned that Russian hackers abused Signal's linked-devices feature for real-time spying.10
  • Twilio incidentSignal published guidance after a Twilio incident affecting some Signal users.13
  • CVE-2018-3988Historic Signal Messenger Android vulnerability, tracked in NVD with a 4.7 severity score in third-party feeds.⁹

What users say

Reviewers and Reddit users consistently call Signal the best private messenger, while debating phone-number sign-up and donation funding.

“Signal is truly the best messaging app for most”
— Reddit, r/privacy
“Why Signal Is Still Our Favorite Secure Messaging App”
— Reddit, r/signal
“Privacy is priceless, but Signal is expensive”
— Reddit, r/signal

Alternatives

Compare Signal Messenger with each alternative.

iMessage

Private default for Apple-only circles.

Full analysis

Based on 25+ public sources: independent reviews, security advisories, official pages, and Reddit discussion.

Sources

  1. Signal App Review 2025: Privacy, Pros and Cons (Mozilla Foundation)mozillafoundation.org
    review
  2. The Best Private Instant Messengers (Privacy Guides)privacyguides.org
    review
  3. Signal Products on G2 (453 reviews)g2.com
    review
  4. Signal Private Messenger - Google Playplay.google.com
    review
  5. Signal - Private Messenger - App Storeapps.apple.com
    official
  6. Signal Foundationsignal.org
    official
  7. Product security pagesignal.org
    official
  8. How dangerous are Signal vulnerabilities? (Kaspersky)kaspersky.com
    security
  9. CVE-2018-3988 Detail - NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  10. How Russian Hackers Are Exploiting Signal Linked Devices (SecurityWeek)securityweek.com
    news
  11. Pentagon warned about Signal vulnerability (NPR)npr.org
    news
  12. Signal, the app used by Trump officials (CBS News)cbsnews.com
    news
  13. Twilio Incident: What Signal Users Need to Knowsupport.signal.org
    official
  14. Why FTFA Chose Signal Messenger (case study)trees.africa
    news
  15. Reddit: Signal is truly the best messaging app for mostreddit.com
    review
  16. Signal (software) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    official

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